China Begins Coal Mine Safety Crackdown

China is closing 5,290 coal mines in a safety crackdown on the world’s deadliest mining industry, the government announced Thursday.

The figure is higher than a previously reported estimate of 4,000 mines that would be closed after safety inspections in 2005, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It cited figures released at a conference held by the State Administration of Work Safety.

The government has launched a series of safety campaigns in recent years in an attempt to rein in accidents that kill more than 5,000 Chinese coal miners annually. But death tolls are largely unchanged.